A survey conducted by The Harrison Group and Activision Publishing has found that a large percentage of parents with gaming children are familiar with the ESRB ratings system.

As the popularity of video games continues to grow, so does parental awareness of the ratings system that governs the industry. The survey, which gathered the results of 1,201 online interviews of video game players aged 6-44 and their parents, found that 82% of "gamer" parents were familiar with the ESRB rating guidelines, seven percent more than the game-playing children themselves.

Heartening results, especially when considering that just two years ago the National Institute on Media and Family gave parents a C grade for involvement in their children's video game playing.

It bears noting that while 82% of parents are aware of the ratings system, only 70% pay attention to it when purchasing a game for their children, with 62% indicating that they actively research the games their children want before purchasing them.

Other interesting statistics reported in the survey include the fact that 63% of "gamer parents" consider themselves gamers as well, with 52% reporting a majority of their gaming time is spent with their children.

It looks like games are slowly transforming from a hobby that isolates players from their families to one that brings them together.